Over the Hills, Through the Valleys
by Yamadori
Summary: Blue Dragon Anime, Tenkai. When Bouquet hears a rumor about the Ra Clan, and that her family may be alive, she convinces the Shu-tachi to look for them. Her discovery will bring her joy, but she may be surprised by what else she finds... Shu x Bouquet


**And here I am, bringing you guys another story. :D I actually expected **_**Murasakizuishou**_** to be finished first, but… *shrugs* **_**Over the Hills, Through the Valleys**_** is up, with the other probably on the way soon, so I think that's probably the important part. ;) I don't have an overabundance of time at the moment, so I'm going to do what I did for **_**Sanningumi**_** and put here what I had on my profile:**

**Over the Hills, Through the Valleys: **_I've had this idea for a few months, but didn't have enough plot to actually make it into a story, until now (though I'm still worried about how well this one will go). This takes place during Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu, at almost any point after Episode 8; the most likely time it occurs is before or after one of the more filler-like episodes. To summarize, as the Shu-tachi are passing through a village, Bouquet discovers a rumor about a group of people traveling in caravans, all of whom sound like members of the Ra Clan - though the thing that _really_ catches her attention is the description of one of the families, which sounds like her own. Holding fast to the hope that, contrary to what she'd thought for years, her family may be alive, she convinces Shu and the boys to take a detour to find them. However, when everything seems like it's going perfectly, Bouquet finds out something more than a little unexpected, and Shu starts to question his relationship with Bouquet and just how exactly he feels about her. I look forward to this one, because I'll finally get the chance to write out some of my ideas about the Ra Clan and Bouquet's past (neither of which seem to ever be clearly addressed, save for a certain scene in Season One's Episode 34), as well as a nice and hefty helping of Shu x Bouquet. ;D There'll also probably be some small friendship scenes between Shu, Noi, and Marumaro, but the scenes will be pretty minor in regard to the rest of the story._

**Well, that pretty much covers everything I would have mentioned… Hmm… I might start doing this more often. ;) Anyway, if there's something you're wondering about that wasn't mentioned above – or in the note at the bottom – let me know, and I'll either address it here under an "edit" heading or in the next chapter. So, after the disclaimer, read on! ;D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon: Tenkai no Shichi Ryuu, nor do I own the first season. If I did, we'd be nearing the end of a third season right now. XP (I'm not losing hope, though!)**

No matter their destination, their goal, the one thing that always remained the same was that they were walking. Some days it seemed a little repetitive, and more often than not tiring. But for over two years, it had been the one constant that never changed, and Shu took comfort in it. He didn't know for sure, but he suspected that the others thought the same.

After all, it felt nice to have such a normal consistency such as walking be as reliable as a mountain, when fighting became as normal as breathing.

Another reliable and as normal as breathing occurrence were your traveling companions' (often quite ranging) emotions. When you spent practically every waking moment of every day with someone, you tended to pick up a few things. For example, the way they moved or talked when they were happy or sad.

And yet Shu still felt uncertain, because he had never seen Bouquet so stricken and lost as she had been when they'd found out the reason for their current destination, nor the quiet and shock that had followed.

Though he figured that finding out that people, friends and possibly family, you'd thought were dead for years, were actually alive, could do that to someone.

He understood it, but it did nothing to take away his frustration. If someone were distressed, hurting, troubled, or something related, he wanted to help. Not being able to just seemed... wrong. But it was a little more than that.

Not being able to help meant he'd failed. He had failed her... He had failed _Bouquet_. The one person who had stayed by his side when everyone else had just left, and he had failed her.

It was like a knife to the heart.

The walking, though, that helped. Even if there was tension in the steps, the motion always remained the same. The same and reliable. If he didn't look at Bouquet and see the tightness in her shoulders, didn't hear the uncharacteristic silence of both Noi and Marumaro, he could almost pretend everything was fine.

But, of course, the "almost" was there for a reason. He cared about the three of them too much, especially her, to just not see. Everything wasn't fine. Not exactly bad, either, but not fine.

He closed his eyes, memories of a short while ago flashing behind the lids. _A bulletin board. Talking to a woman who had put up a certain post. A paper mentioning a very large group of dark-haired, purple-eyed people seen traveling in donkey-driven caravans. Bouquet, taking his hand in her own and pleading for a detour they really shouldn't take, her eyes filled with that hopefulness he's almost never able to turn down._

He opened his eyes again and focused on the walking.

He feared that Bouquet might have put too much hope into this rumor. If it were false... If the supposedly spotted members of the Ra Clan weren't really alive... He could only imagine how she would take it. So far, he hadn't imagined any good scenarios.

But, if they were alive... Well, it would be more than a relief. She would probably be happier than he'd ever seen her. But...

_If her family is there, she'll stay. She'll leave you. And you'll be all alone._ The words had been whispers at the edge of his mind, and he'd started to wonder if they might be true.

_No,_ he thought firmly, walking a little faster. _We'll just stay there for a couple of days, and then we'll resume the journey, and everything will be fine; she can just come back to her family afterwards. We need her; she knows that. And... Even if it isn't exactly true, Bouquet considers herself my fiancée. She... She wouldn't just leave like that. She'll stay. She'll stay with m-,_ a hurried amendment,_ with us._

Of course. Just like Kluke and Jiro had stayed. Just like he'd thought they would.

Except for the very small detail that they hadn't.

He pushed down the sudden surge of bitterness that rose inside of him as powerful as an ocean wave.

But it wouldn't be like that with Bouquet. Of course she would still stay.

He didn't know if he could take it if she didn't.

* * *

Shu wasn't sure when the mood had switched from dour to joyful; it had just sort of... happened. Thanks to Noi and Marumaro anyway. The two boys had picked up on the lowered moods of their other two companions, and had quickly set to work remedying it by prattling on about all kinds of nonsense. It did the trick.

Shu smiled to himself a little. He doubted there was much of anything that could keep the two friends down for long.

He let out a sigh. They were coming close to the apex of the hill they had been climbing for the past few minutes. Shu let his eyes rest on Bouquet. He could tell that she was feeling much better after Noi and Marumaro had tried to lighten everything up, but her movements remained tense. _If only there was something I could do..._ Shu sighed again.

Bouquet looked at him over her shoulder, questioning at first. And then the corners of her mouth lifted in a wan, but still warm, smile. "Come here, Shu."

His stomach did a small, inexplicable flip.

It did that, occasionally, the times she smiled at him.

And then he was beside her, walking steadily. Always walking...

"It's nice out here, isn't it?" Her hands were folded in front of her. It couldn't hide their trembling.

Shu nodded. "Yeah." He felt like he should say more, but he didn't know what he _could_ say.

He was saved answering, though, when they reached the top of the hill.

It overlooked a long and wide valley, another hill far off in the distance on the opposite side. Through the valley ran a stream alongside a dusty road, sunlight glinting off the surface of the water.

Quite a way off, many brown shapes were moving slowly down the road.

Shu heard Bouquet's breath catch. "Could it..."

He took her hand in his own. She turned her eyes to him, startled, astonished, but pleasantly so; Bouquet was almost always the one who initiated any physical contact between them, so she wouldn't have expected him to hold her hand of his own volition. But it didn't mean she didn't want him to. "Shu..."

He saw the glimmer of happiness crossing her features, and Shu knew he'd done the right thing. He grinned softly, and soon she had, too. "Let's go see."

With a boisterous whoop, Marumaro tumbled over the hill with a resistant Noi in hand, and Shu followed closely, tugging Bouquet with him, at least some of their worries finally ebbing away.

**Phew – prologue done! I was happy with the beginning, but I don't think the latter half came out so good… To me, at least, it seems reminiscent of a deflating balloon. XP I'm sorry; I just couldn't think of any other way to end it. Hopefully, the upcoming chapters will turn out better. :) However, I also think that the characterization was off in this chapter… Maybe it's just me; I'll leave it for you guys to decide. :P So, if you can, please review and let me know what you think of it! :) I'll try to update after 10 hits, though it will probably take some time. But the main thing that I use to decide which stories I update next is the poll on my profile. The poll is on temporary hold until the 18th, but if you haven't already, please feel free to vote anyway. :) Because this story didn't have any votes, the poll results will not be cleared. So… That's everything I have to mention, I think. See you soon! :D**


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